The Irish standard., 1887-07-23
Ell children, slowly returning from the
meadow to their happy though humble
home.
CHAPTER II.

| CE1A1 / LIT LII.
We feel prompted to begin this chap
ter with one or two anecdotes which
have little OF no business in it. Yet
they may helI to Observation-Disclosures, per-
haps, than long description-the char
acter Ut our hum ble heroine Perhaps,
too, We wish to delay for little while
the sad, sad story of the doom that be-
fel her.
The Protestant clergyman, the Rev.
Robert Stephens, was quite an admirer
of Sally Cavanagh's. He was wont to
tell how. the first Sunday after his ar
rival in the parish, he was leisurelv
walking from the glebe to the church.
when q young countrywoman tripped
lightly by him. He quickened his pace
in order to get into conversation with
her.
Good morning. said his reverence.
'sGood morning kindly" said the
young woman.
"What musical voice. thought Mr..
Stephens: land. by Jove, that foot
might serve as model for a statuary. :"
;fWhy are you in such hurry?" he in
quired aloud.
because I'm afraid I'll be too late
for Mass, SIR"
''Oh. don't fear that; sure, I'm the
priest of the parish
Il may take my time so, Sir" said
she, but without slackening her pace.
AS they went on in this way, Mr..
Stephens called her attention to very
ill-favored old goat lying by the road
side.
Now, look at that old rascal" said
he; :hasn't he the look of rogue?
Wouldn't he remind you of the par
son?''
ooh, sir" said Sally Cayanagh, push
ing back the hood Of her cloak from one
side, aud surveying her questioner from
head to foot, whole a look Of indescrib-
able merriment lighted up her whole
face--"oh, sir, don't compare the
blessed little haste to the ugly ou]d hay
then
The flash Of her white teeth, and the
fun that danced in her dark, lustrous
eye, gave such point to the repartee
that the good humored parson went off
in an uncomfortable fit OF laughter,
which exploded again and again, us he
attempted to repeat the story to his
wife, who overlook HIM before he
reached the church. In fact, the Rev.
Robert Stephens had considerable diff
ficulty in assuming q look OF decorons
gravity as he presented himself for the
first time before his new congregation.
That was the way Sally Cavanagh first
attracted the notice of the parson. And
we must say that few among those who
knew her Were more shocked or more
grieved at her misfortunes than the
Rev. Mr.. Stephens and his kind hearted
lady. We believe, if they had learned
the circumstances IF her case, in time,
they would have endeavored, as far as
in them lay, to save her from fate
worse than death.
A widely different but still character
istjc incident won her the regard of the
priest, Father O'Gorman.
Connor Shea's mother was helpless
invalid for several years before his mar
riage.
tWisha, Connor,' she would say, lis
it going TO marry that mad thing you
are?'
Wait till you know her betther,
mother
Shes droll crather, Conner, am d
make any one get fond of her, the old
woman would continue, Frightening
int, good hurnor at the recollection of
Sally Cavanagh's light, t,hearted DISPOSE
tion, and what Gonnor used to call ther
ways of goin' on
One morning, short time after Con-
nor Shea's marriage, his mother was
sitting by the fire, propped up by pill
lows which Sally's careful hands had
placed around her. Sally noticed the
old woman IS head fall helplessly to one
side, and hurrying with cry to her as
sistance, she saw that the hand of
death was upon her. The poor young
woman clasped her hands together in
an agony of grief and terror. Thank
God she exclaimed as sudden
thought struck her, tthe station is at
MIR. Reilly's to-day, and may be It's not
too late yet
She hurried from the house, and was
about running down the narrow by
road, when she caught sight of horse
man, who was just after passing along
the public road. She scrambled over
the fence, and crossing a field dia-
gonally, with the speed of frightened
hare, flung herself over another high
fence. and stood painting before the as
tonlshed horseman.
MY mother-in-]aw is dyin', sir she
exclaimed, catching hold OF the bridle
'Well,' said Father O'Gorman, who
knew from experience how often the
priest is hurried away at all hours of
the day and night to attend sick calls,
when there is no danger of death
We'll, said he, the other priest is over